Door retainer



May 3, 1938. R. E. BLUE DOOR RETAINER Filed March 8, 1957 INVENTOR R0) E. BLUE.

ATTORNEY$- Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES noon RETAINER Roy E. Blue, Detroit,.Mich.,.assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 8, 1937, Serial No. 1-29.56?

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a retainer and more particularly to a retainer of this kind which is especially adapted for use in connection with the doors of motor vehicle bodies'.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved retainer for piloting a door into its proper closed position and yieldably holding the door against movement when it is in its closed position and which will eliminate objecionable noises incidental to metaleto-metal contact between the door retainer and the door carried cooperating parts'.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a door retainer, improved means for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces thereof especially where there is a metal-to-metal contact between parts of the retainer and door which are subject to relative movement.

More specifically, the invention has for its object the provision of an improved guard or plate for the walls of a yieldable retainer support member which receives and retains a cooperating member carried by the door; to provide a guard of the above type which is inherently lubricated and which can be secured to the adjacent wall surface of the retainer support member; and to provide a guard of this character which is entirely supported by the yieldable retainer member so as to be free for bodily movement by the latter Within the limits of its yieldability in response to movements of the cooperating door part.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary portion of a vehicle body in which the body pillar incorporating the improved retainer is shown in side elevation with parts being broken away and in section and in which the door and cooperating lug for the retainer are shown in perspective.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the retainer shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The invention is illustrated and described in connection with an improved retainer adapted to be secured to a body pillar post or other supporting structure of the body in a position to receive a metallic lug or wedge member carried by the ably opposing this movement of the wedge, the '5 retainer preferably possesses acertain amount of yieldability and is also so constructed that relative movement between the retainer and wedge will not result in objectionable noises common to metal-to-metal contact. The improved retainer '10 preferably includes a: yieldable rubber block having'a metallic guard secured to the walls defining a recess therein and in which the door lug is received. In: order to. eliminate noise and squeaks w resulting from metal-to-metalcontact between T5 the lug and guard, the latter includes an inherently lubricated metallic contact portion or strip for engagement by the lug and a suitable backing or reinforcing stripcomprising a metal k to-which rubber readily bonds. This arrangement insures a constant supply of lubricant to the bearing surfaces and eliminates the requirement of periodic lubrication, the latter frequently producing an initial over-supply of lubricant with the result that, because of the disposition of the lug with respect to the door, clothes of the passenger are wiped against the lug and the excess lubricant is smeared on the clothing.

The improved retainer, generally designated by the: numeral i0, is adapted to be secured to a 30 suitable body support II for cooperating with a lug or wedge member 12 secured to the face of a door l3; As illustratedv more particularly in Fig. 3, the retainer I-ll includes a substantially rectangular box-like casing or housing M for re- 35 ceiving and retaining a yieldable supporting member l5, preferably comprising rubber or other suitable resilient, yieldable material. The casing l4 may be formed by suitably stamping a body from sheet metal and thereafter bending the 40 same to provide a back l6 having two parallel end walls l1, l1 at right angles to the back, a side wall l8, lugs I9, I9 for retaining the member l5 within the casing, and attaching flanges 20, 29.

The yieldable member I 5 has a recess 2| formed 45 therein for receiving the lug I 2 carried by the door when the latter is in its closed position, the recess 2| extending in the general direction of the line of movement of the door carried lug and the walls of the recess being tapered to correspond 0 with the taper of the lug. The wall faces of the recess are lined by guard members 22, 22 providing bearing surfaces for engagement with the wedge l2. To insure the necessary lubrication for the aforesaid bearing surfaces,the guards 22, 55

22 preferably comprise a porous bearing metal structure engageable with the lug l2 and having a substantial absorbed lubricant content. This porous metal structure is indicated at 23 and comprises a sheet-like stripfixed to a second metallic strip 24 adhered to the wall face of the recess. While there are shown two such guards which are identical in construction, it will be understood that if desired, a single guard may be employed, similar to the guards 22, by having the inner ends of the latter united.

The porous bearing structure indicated at 23 preferably comprises a compressed and sintered mass of powdered metals having a substantial lubricant absorbing capacity and through which lubricant readily permeates to the bearing surfaces. By way of example, the structure indicated at 23 may be produced from a mixture of powdered materials having the following composition:

Percent by weight Powdered copper 88.5 Powdered tin 10 Powdered graphite 1.5

The constituents of the mixture are thoroughly incorporated together and distributed throughout each other by a suitable mixing operation and the mixture then compressed to sheet form between rolls or dies. The briquette so formed is then sintered at a suitable temperature of approximately 1600 F. in a non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere. The porosity of the product permits a substantial quantity of oil to be absorbed. If desired, the lubricant impregnating step may be delayed until after the bearing metal 23 of the guard has been secured to the metallic backing 24. It will be understood, of course, that the composition of the mixture may be varied from that enumerated and that the above is merely illustrative of the constituents of the bearing metal.

The backing 24 preferably comprises sheet metal which will readily bond to the rubber member I5 and which can be conveniently and economically secured to the part 23. In securing the parts 23 and 24 together, the former may be bonded directly to the sheet metal part 24, which preferably comprises sheet steel or sheet brass, in which event, superimposed layers of the two materials are retained under pressure and subjected to a non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere to effect a copper-hydrogen weld, utilizing the copper constituent in the porous metal for this purpose. If desired, the porous metal structure may be soldered or brazed to the reinforcing backing.

The guard 22 may be cemented to the member l5 or integrally bonded thereby by vulcanizing the backing 24 to the Walls of the recess. As illustrated, the guards 22, 22 are supported entirely by the member l5 and are freely movable during expansion and contraction of the latter. Preferably these guards are normally maintained out of contact with the casing so that there is no limitation on the inherent yieldability of the member IS in responding to door movements. It will be understood that the member [5 may, if desired, comprise a pair of blocks instead of the single block shown.

I claim:

1. In a door retainer including a support having opposed faces adapted to receive a door retaining lug therebetween, and a guard for said faces including a metallic backing and a liner comprising a sheet of porous metal having a substantial absorbed lubricant content rigidly bonded to said backing.

2. In a door retainer including a non-metallic yieldable support member having opposed faces adapted to receive a door retaining lug therebetween, and a guard for said. faces including an oil impervious metallic backing secured to said support and a liner comprising a sheet of porous metal having a substantial absorbed lubricant content rigidly bonded to said backing, said guard being entirely supported by said member for bodily movement by said lug.

3. In a door retainer including a housing, retaining means in said housing comprising a nonmetallic yieldable member adapted to receive a door retaining member, and a wear plate for said yieldable member, said plate including a door retaining member contacting portion comprising.

a porous metal structure having a substantial absorbed lubricant content and a backing therefor having its opposite faces bonded to said lug contacting portion and said yieldable member respectively.

4. In a door retainer including a body portion comprising rubber and having an opening therein adapted to receive a member to be retained, and a wear plate in said opening including an oil impervious side portion comprising metal to which rubber readily bonds and an opposite porous metal side portion having a substantial absorbed lubricant content, the first mentioned side portion of said plate being bonded to said body portion.

ROY E. BLUE. 

